Nearly 24 years later, justice comes for murder of Christopher Heiss

By James Bennett jbennett@c-dh.net

Saturday

Mar 3, 2018 at 11:49 AMMar 3, 2018 at 9:07 PM

Christopher Heiss owed $7,000 to vicious, heartless drug dealers and was lured to his death in 1994 because of debt from buying cocaine, it was revealed for the first time publicly in the trial of convicted murderer Kimberly Miller last week.

Heiss delivered pizzas for Papa John’s nearly 24 years ago, and his store received a call late Saturday night, April 2, 1994 from Miller. When he attempted a delivery at 11:30 p.m., the 21-year-old Heiss was shot once in the head and chest.

Miller, 18 at the time, ran over Heiss’ body with his own car, a 1990 Nissan 240 SX, after stealing it and attempting a getaway with others involved in the crime.

The former Columbia waitress and food-service worker was convicted of first-degree murder Friday by a Maury County jury. Circuit Judge Stella Hargrove sentenced Miller to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

“I honestly believe she never thought this day would come — that she would be held accountable and convicted,” District Attorney General Brent Cooper told The Daily Herald on Saturday. “We don’t know if the plan was to just take his car and whatever was in his car to settle the drug debt, or if the plan all along was to kill him. If the original plan was not to kill him, they decided to kill him very quickly. Everything happened within seconds.

“She told witnesses she ran over Christopher Heiss with his own car,” Cooper added. “He had injuries consistent with that. This was a cold-blooded execution of a 21 year old. Miller was right in the middle of it.”

Miller called and asked Papa John’s to deliver to 1825 Paul Drive that bloody night. After stealing Heiss’ car, Miller and other accomplices abandoned it a few blocks away near Highland Park Baptist Church.

Investigators made no arrests in the case until Miller was charged by Cooper’s office in March 2016. Cooper took on the Heiss murder as a cold case when he was elected in 2014. It’s one of five cold cases he has solved since he took office.

“Miller set the crime in motion,” Cooper said. “She has never shown one ounce of sympathy for Chris Heiss and his family.”

Cooper and Deputy District Attorney Dan Runde prosecuted and argued the case personally last week. They called Heiss’ family to the witness stand first. The former Central High School student’s parents testified Heiss’ cocaine problem was a shock to them.

“Chris Heiss was just a normal 21-year-old kid who came from a good family,” Cooper said. “He just made some stupid decisions that caused him to be associated with some dangerous people — Miller being one of those dangerous people.”

Heiss had moved out of his home with his parents at 304 Mark Court, partially because he was using marijuana. He had moved back in a week before his death.

“The last thing he told to his father — before he went to work that night — was that he loved him,” Cooper said.

Two witnesses said Miller told them she was involved with the homicide and ordered the pizza.

“If she had not placed that phone call, Christopher Heiss likely would be alive today, probably raising his own children,” Cooper said. “For 24 years, Christopher Heiss’ family lived without their son. For 24 years, they had no answers to what happened to him.”

Cooper thanked Columbia Police Department investigator Jason Sanders and DA investigator Tommy Goetz for their work in solving the case.

“I am happy that Mr and Mrs. Heiss may have some measure of peace, knowing that someone will be held responsible for their son’s tragic death,” Cooper said. “With that said, this investigation is not over. We know there were others involved, and we will continue to pursue them.”

Miller remained incarcerated at the Maury County Jail on Saturday, waiting to be taken into custody by the Tennessee Department of Corrections.

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James Bennett is editor of The Daily Herald. His column is based on original reporting, old-school storytelling and original commentary on whatever catches his fancy or yours. He was a 2017 Tennessee Press Association first-place award winner for editorial writing and public service. Contact him at jbennett@c-dh.net.

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